Last summer, Michael Mukasey, who Chuck Schumer was pushing for attorney general, told Congress that he found waterboarding personally "repugnant," but refused to prejudge its legality, taking no position on whether it was torture, or shocked the conscience.
That equivocation put the New York judge's nomination at risk, but Schumer came riding to the rescue -- arguing that Mukasey's duck on waterboarding was not critical, he would improve the Justice Department in other areas, and he had "more openness to ending the practices we abhor" than other likely nominees.
So today, Mukasey came back before the Judiciary Committee. He still was dodging questions on waterboarding, but he indicated that he believes in some circumstances it may be legal, and refused to endorse Congressional legislation to ban it. Schumer, in the exchange below says he's very disappointed -- but, he's the Democrat who decided to confirm Mukasey without a commitment on waterboarding, isn't he? Isn't this exactly the AG he knew he was getting?
Clip via TPM.